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Michael Levin on the foundations of cognition

Thing in itself

CHAPTER

Top Down Causation Isn't Top Down Causation

I do think that, I do think that top down causation exists. People like Eric whole have developed a formalism where at least for certain kind of systems, you can actually see which level does the most work. They get to, it's not top down causality in the sense that at the emergent level you're consciously moving something at the level. But if you can understand the goal directed to be here at the lower level and somehow intervene to, to accomplish something does that. And so in many cases it will be the lowest level, but it, but, but in other cases it won't be.

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